Laundry appliance



I ttouwgl E. E. FRI-:Y Er Al.

LAUNDRY APPLIANCE Jan. 15, 1929.

Filed Feb. 6, 1926 Patented Jan. 15, 1929.

llNlTED STATES PATENT OFFICE.

ELMER E. FREY, OF HOLLYWOOD, AND JOHN GRIESINGER, OF LOS ANGELES, CALI-FORNIA; SAID FREY ASSIGNOR TO SAID GRIESINGER.

LAUNDRY APPLIANCE.

Application led February 6, 1926. Serial No. 86,481.

This invention relates to laundry appliances and pertains moreparticularly to the means whereby fabric articles that are to belaundered or otherwise cleaned are supplied with an identification tag.

In the system of tagging disclosed in the copending` application ofVElmerE. Frey, filed October l5, 1924, Serial No. 743,737, a plurality ofcarriers is provided and a series of identification tags is detachablymounted on each carrier. The tags on the same carrier bear likeidentification symbols and the tags on different carriers hear differentidentitication symbols. The carriers are suitably supported over oradjacent to a marking table, where the articles tofbe laundered orcleansed are placed and the marking tags are secured to the articles,those articles belong-- ing to one customer being supplied With tags ofthe same series. After the articles have been attached to the tags andthe tags removed from the carrier, the carrier is taken to the sortingor distributing room and there suitably sorted. W'hen the taggedarticles have been laundered or cleaned, they are taken to the sortingor distributing room and the tags with the articles attached thereto areattached to the carrier from which they were removed by the marker, Thenthe articles are released from the tags and this release is accomplishedin various Ways according to the type of carrier tag employed.

There are two very important considerations in the tagging of fabricarticles. One is to make provision for securing the tag in such mannerthat it will not become detached from the article during thel operationsof laundering or cleaning the article. Another consideration is that thetag must be constructed and secured so as to avoid tearing the fabricarticle. To these, a third consideration may be added, and that is thatthe tag must have very little Weight so as to insure against its tea ingvery delicate fabrics to which it may be attached.

An important object of the present invention is to accomplish theforegoing by a relatively simple construction.

Another important object of the invention is to construct the differentcarriers and the tags that belong thereto so vthat only those tags thatbelong to a specified carrier can be attached thereto, thus avoiding theattaching to the carrier of a Wrong tag, in case the distrilmter shouldfail to properly read the identiiication mark on the tag, or in event ofidentilication symbols being purposely omitted 'from the tags andcarriers.

Another important object is to provide for keeping accurate count of thenumber of tags removed from and returned to the carriers so as toyprovide a perfect check Without the necessity of the distributercounting the tags.

Another object is to provide for positive locking of the clampingmembers in clamping position so as to insure against the fabric articlebecoming accidentally detached from the tag, as would be liable to occ rif spring latching were resorted to. Y

A further object is to effect the latching and unlatching of the clampby a relative rotation between the carrier and tags.

Other objects and advantages Will appear in the subjoined detaileddescription.

The accompanying drawings illustrate the invention Fig. l is alongitudinal View of a laundry appliance constructed in accordance withthe provisions of this invention, only a few of the tags being shown onthe carrier. The marking ltable to Which the carrier is attached, isindicated in broken lines.

Fig. 2 is an end elevation of Fig. l from the right thereof.

Fig.` 3 is an inverted plan View of the right end portion of Fig. l,showing the counter.

Fig. 4 is an enlarged'front elevation of one of the tags.

Fig. 5 is a sectional elevation on the line indicated by 5--5 of Fig. 4,the carrier rod being indicated in dotted lines. The tag is shown inclamping position in full lines and broken lines indicate some of theparts in the positions that they occupy When the tag is unclamped fromthe fabric article.

Fig. 6 is a cross-sectional view of a plurality of carrier rods 0fdifferent cross-sectional form, and mounted thereon a plurality oflatches having orifices corresponding in cross sectional shape to thecarrier rods on which they are adapted to slide.

Referring to the drawings, a carrier is indicated in general by thecharacter 7 and attached to said carrier is a series of tags indicatedat 8. The tags 8 are of like construction Aand the series may consist ofany desired number.

The carrier 7 comprises an arm 9 having suitablemeansat one end toattach it to a support such, for example, as a marking table,

indicated in broken lines at ci in Fig. 1. This attaching means, in thisinstance, is in the form of a el-clamp 10 provided with a thumbscrew 11.This term of clamp is well understood inthe art relating to clamps,vand, therefore, needs no further description. rlhe arm 9 is providednear its opposite ends with eyes 12 which are adapted to slidably engagea supporting conveyor or rod, not shown. in a manner already known inthis art so that the articles retained by the tags engaging the carriermay be simultaneously carried from one station to another by sliding ofthe carrier along such rod.

Attached by screws 18, or other suitable means, to the arm 7, adjacentto the clamps 10, is a rod 14, and it is to be understood that the rodsof diiierent carriers, preterably, will be of ditlerent cross-sectionalshapes. ln Fig. 1 the rod 14 is square in cross-section and in Fig. 6are illustrated a number ot cross-sectional shapes which may beemployed. lt is to be noted that regardless ot the cross-sectional shapeot the rod it should have at least one flat tace. rl`he rod 14 ispreferably slightly tapered at its tree end as indicated at 1 5. The rod14 slidably supports the tags 8 mentioned above and each ot said tags isconstructed 'as follows:

A flat member 16 ot sheet met-al is pr vided with a circular orifice 17in which rotatably mounted a latch member 18. Flanges 181 on thelatchmember engage the opposite rfaces ot the member 16 to hold the latchmember in place. The latch member is provided with oriiice'ot a shapecorresponding to that ojt the cross section ot the rod 14 with which itis associated. 'The latch member may be otherwise movably mounted withinthe scope of some ot the appended claims. The latch orifice 19 in Fig. 4is square and the oriiices in the latch members illustrated in Fig. 6are ot shapes to correspond with the cross-sectional shapes ot the rodswith which said latches are associated. 1n any event a portion ottheinargin ot the latch `oriice is straight. The only difference betweenthe series oit tags belonging to one carrier and the series ot tagsbelonging to another carrier is in the shape ot the orifice in the latchmen'iber. lt will be evident from this that it is impossible to confuseor interchange the tags associated with one carrier with thoseassociated with another Hinged at 20 to the member 16 is a flat clampingmember 21 ot sheet metal, an ear or ears 22 ot the member 21 projectingbe.- hind the member 16 to limit backward movement ci the member 21. Theears 22 engage the member 16 when the members 16, 21 are substantiallyin alignment, and thus prevent collapse ot said members rearwardly, orto the right in Fig. 5. To limit movement of the member 21 in theopposite direction, said member is provided on its trent tace with anoutwardly projecting abutment 23 adapted, when the member 21 iscollapsed, to the broken line position in Fig. to enter an oritice 24 inthe member 16. The abutment 2,3 expands toward the member 21 so that theside edges of the abutment will engage the side edges of the orifice 24when the members 16, 21 are almost at a right angle to one another. Theabutment 23 extends across the hinge 20 and in front ot the member 16.

l/V hen the members 16, 21 are substantially straight, the tree end ot'the abutment 23 is spaced sufficiently from the orilice 24 to permit aprojecting vfinger 25 ot the latch member 18 to be interposed betweensaid oriiice and the abutment, thus to project-beneath the abutment andhold the members 16,21 in the straight position. Rotation of the vlatchmember 18 clockwise in Fig. 4 is limited by a stop or shoulder 251 on te abutment 23.

lt will be evident from the foregoing that rotation of the tag` members16, 21 clockwise about the rod 14 from the vert-ical position shown inFig. 4 will eliect release of the member 21 trom the latch member sothat the member 21 can be moved into the broken line position shown inFig. 5. lt follows that latching ot the member 21 will be eii'ected byrotation ot the tag members 16, 21 countercloclrwise about the rod 14.

- rllhe front tace. of the clamping member 21 is provided with atransversely extending groove 26, preterably curved so that it is convextoward the outer or tree end ot member 21. rllhe open side ol the grooveis turned away from the hinge in this instance. rl`he groove 26 isadapted to the intermediate portion ot a second clamping member 27. Theportion et the clamping member 27 that engages in the grooves 26,preferably is curved to correspond-with tne curvature ot' said groove,and, when the members 16, 21 are straight, the member 27 preferablyliesI quite close to the bottom wall et the. groove 26 so that, when aportion ot' a fabric article is placed over the groove 26 and the member27 is engaged within the groove, said fabric` will be iirmly clampedbetween the member 27 and the bottom wall ot the groove. lt will beunderstood trom the foregoing that collapse of the members 16, 21forwardly, or to the lett in Fig. 5, is prevented by the latch member18.

The member 27 is inovably mounted on the member 16, in this instance,hinged at 271 at its ends to said member 16, and in this instance, saidmember 27 is :termed ot wire. Constructing the member 27 et wire makesit somewhat resilient so as to yield more or less according'to thethickness ot the fabric that is clamped in the tag and the wire, beingot circular cross-section, can do no injury to the Jfabric.

@nthe tree end ot the arm 9 is mounted a counter constructed as follows:Rotatably mounted on the arm 7 is a disc 28 having char-V acters 29 onitsperipheral face. In this instance t-he shank 31 of one of the eyes 12contates in a bearing projecting trom the un- ,Y

der face ot' the arm 9.

The shaft 34 is provided with an actuating toothed member 36 whichoperates in a plane parallel and adjacent to the rod 14 so that when the8 are slipped on and ott' ot the rod 14 said tags will engage and'rotatethe toothed member 36. In this particular in sence, it may be assumed,for example, that there are -t'orty characters 29 and t-hat the gearratio is such that the member makes eight revolutions to one revolutionot the disc 28. It may also be assumed, for example, that the actuatingmember 36 has live teeth or fingers. Secured to the arm 7 is an arrow 37with which the characters 29 are adapted to register as the disc 28 isturned. In this instance the number of characters 29 and the spacingthereoil on the disc are such that a titth of a turn o'l the toothedmember 36 rotates the disc 28 a distance corresponding to the spacing otthe characters 29 so that, when a tag 8 is placed on the tapered outerend of the rod 14 and shifted inwardly on said rod it will etectrotation of the disc 28 by an amount corresponding to the spacing of thecharacters 29. The rotation of the disc will be in the same direction asthe rotation of the actuating member 36 and the series of characters 29reads from lett to right. In this instance. the characters 29 are thenumbers from 1 to 4t) inclusive and they read from right to lett on thedisc so that when the disc is set with the arrow registering with thenumber the number of tags removed from the carrier will be registered bythe turning of the disc through one-fortieth of a revolution for eachtag removed. Thus, for example, if eighteen tags are removed, 18 willappear opposite to the arrow 37.

In removing the tags it is not necessary for the marker to note thenumber 4ot tags removed, as indicated by the disc, but, when the tagsare replaced on the carrier by the distributor, the disc will beinspected by such distributor in order to make sure, without having tocount the tags, whether or not all of the tags have been returned to thecarrier and, it"Y they have not, how many are missing so that a searchcan be made for the articles missing from the assortment of articlesbelonging to a single customer.

It is advisable that the disc be locked while the carrier is beingltransferred from the marking table to the 'sorting room to preventthedisc from being accidentally turned, and to effect locking, we providethe bearing 35 with a bracket 38 to which is pivoted a linger 39 adaptedto be swung into the space between two adjacent teeth ot the member 36to prevent rotation of said member, or to be swung upwardly away fromthe member 36 so as to permit rotation of said member.

The invention described above operates as follows:

Let itbe assumed that the carrier 7 is clamped to the marking table a,that there are as many tags 8 on the rod 14 as is indicated by thenumbers 29 on the disc 28, that the number 40 on the disc 28 registerswith the arrow 37, and that the tags project horizontally from the bar14 with their clamping members 27 in open position as shown in F ig. lof the drawings.

The soiled articles to be cleansed belonging to one customer will bedumped on the table a and the marker will attach an article to the tagthat is nearest to the tapered end 15 of therod 14 by placing a marginalportion of the article over the groove 26 in the clamping member 21 andthe marker will then close the clamping member 27 to cause itsintermediate portion to engage within the groove 26 and he will rotatethe tag downwardly through an angle of 90 on the rod 14 to thepositionshown in solid lines in lig` 5, thus securely latehing themember 21 against swinging on its hinge 20. The

marker will then slip the tag with its attached article along the rod 14past the member 36 and oft of said rod, thus effecting a partialrotation of the member 36 which in turn causes the member 1 on the discto register with the arrow 37. The other articles belonging to the samecustomer will be similarly attached to others of the tags 8 and saidtags will be removed from the rod 14, thus causing the disc 28 toregister the number of tags removed from the rod. As the articlesbelonging to the one customer are thus tagged they will be deposited ina suitable receptacle for transportation to the laundering apparatus inwhich they will undergo the usual laundering operations, and the carrierfrom which the tags have thus been detached will be transferred from themarking table to the sorting or distributing room where it will beplaced on a conveyor rod, not shown, that extends downwardlyy to thedistributing table. After the tagged articles have passed through thelaundering operations they will be brought to the distributor who isstationed at the upper end of the conveyor rod mentioned above and thedistributor will grasp the tags attached to the articles and, whileholding the tags vertically, will slip said tags, with the articlesattached thereto, upon the rod 14. As each tag is moved inwardly alongthe rod 14 it encounters a tooth of the member 36 and operates saidmember so as to turn the disc 28 backward. When all of the tags thathave formerly been removed from the rod 14 have been returned to saidrod the arrow 37 will register with the number l0 on the disc. After thedistributor has placed on the carrier vall of the tags that 'she iindsbelonging to said carrier, she will inspect the disc 28 to learn whetheror not all of the tags have been replaced.V It the arrow point-s to anynumber besides elfi, for example, such number will indicate to thedistributor the number of tags. that are missing, whereupon thedistributor willhave'a search instituted for the missing tags with theirattached articles, thus insuring that the customer will have all of hispieces ot laundry returned to him.

Then all ot the'tags that belong to the carrier have been returnedthereto with their attached articles, the distributor places the carrierupon the upper end of the conveyor mentioned above with the eyes l2engaging said conveyor. The carrier will slide down the conveyor to thedistributing table where a distributor will turn the tags 8 through anangle ot 900 so as to release the members 21, whereupon the distributorwill pull the articles in a direction to cause the member 2l to swing onits hinge, thus disengaging the clamping member 27 from the groove so asto release the article.v After the articles are thus released from thetags, said tags are ready to be clamped upon other articles that are tobe cleaned and, accordingly, the carrier with which said tags areassociated will be returned to the marking table.

lt will be readily understood that the counter actuating member 36 andthe finger 39 constitute one form of means for releasably retaining thetags on the carrier. This is an advantage when the carrier is slidingdown the conveyor rod, mentioned above, from one station to another, oris being transported in any other manner while the tags are mountedthereon.

`We claim: i

1. l laundry appliance comprising a rod having a tlat side, and a tagprovided with means to releasably hold a fabric article, said meansincluding a rotatable latch member having an orifice of the saine shapeas the cross section ot the rod to accommodate said rod.

2. A laundryT appliance comprising a rod, a. pair ot pivotally connectedclamping members cooperative to releasably hold a fabric article betweenthem, and a latch member movably connected with one 01" the clampingmembers and engageable with the other Aclamping member to hold thesecond clamping member in clamping position, sait latch memberengageable by the rod and released by rotation of the clamping Imembersabout the rod. l

3. fr laundry appliance comprising a rod, a pair ot pivotally connectedclamping members cooperative to releasably hold a fabric article betweenthem, and a latch member rotatably connected with one of the clampingmembers and engageable with the other clamping member to hold the secondclamping member in cla-mping position, said latch member engageable bythe rod ancL released by rotation of the clamping members about the rod.

4l. A laundry appliance comprising a rod, and a tag having pivotallyconnectedv clamping means and slidably engaging the rod, the clampingmeans having a latch member to hold the clamping means closed andoperated by motion ot the tag about the rod in one direction or theother to operate the latch into position to hold or release theclai'nping means.

5. it; laundry appliance comprising two members hinged together', meanson one member movable into a position to engage with the other member tohold said members against collapsing in one direction from an extended.position, means on one ot the members engageable with the other memberto hold said members against collapsing in the opposite direction froman extended position, and a third member movably mounted on one ot thetiret mentioned members and adapted to be locked to the other ot' thefirst mentioned members Yvhen the first mentioned means are in saidposition.

6. A. n.undrj.Y appliance comprising two members hinged together, meanson one member movable into a position to engage with the other member tohold said members against collapsing in one direction from an extendedposition, means on one ot the members engageable with the other memberto hold said members against collapsing in the opposite direction froman extended position, and a third member hinged to one of the iirstVmentioned members and adapted to be locked to the other of vthe firstmentioned members when the first mentioned means are in said position.

Y. laundry appliance comprising two members hinged together,one ot themembers having a groove, a clamping member movably mounted on the othermember and engageable in the groove when the first mentioned members arein one position, one ot' the iirst mentioned members having an outwardlyprojecting abutment and a. latch member movably mounted on the other oithe first mentioned members and adapted when moved to one position toproject beneath. the abutment.

8. A laundry appliance comprising two members hinged together, one oithe members having a groove, 4a clamping member Ahinged to the othermember and engageable in the groove when the first mentioned members arein one position, one of the first mentioned members having an outwardlyprojecting abutment, and a latch member movably mounted on the other ofthe rst men- Sii members and adapted when turned sition to projectbeneath the. abutment, a portioned members and adapted when moved to oneposition to project beneath the abutment.

9. A laundry appliance comprising two members hinged together, one ofthe members having a groove, a clamping member movably mounted on theother member and engageable in the groove when the first mentionedmembers are in one position, one of the first mentioned members having'an outwardly projecting abutment, and a latch member rotatably mountedon the other or' the first mentioned members and adapted when turned toone position to project beneath the abutment.

10. A laundry appliance comprising two members hinged together, one oithe members havin@ a groove, u clamping member movably mounted on theother member and engageable in the groove when the irst mentionedmembers are in one position, one of the irst mentioned members having anoutwardly projecting' abutment, and a latch member having orifice andArotatably mounted on the other of the i'irst mentioned one potion of themargin or" straight.

11. A laundry appliance comprising two members hinged together, one ofthe members having a groove and one of the members having an earprojecting behind the other member, a clamping member movably mounted onthe member devoid of t-he groove and engageable in the groove when theirst mentioned members are in one position, one ot the first mentionedmembers having an abutment extending across the hinge and in front ofthe other member, and a latch member movably mounted on the lastmentioned member and adapted when moved to one position to projectbeneath the abutment.

12. A laundry appliance comprising two members hinged together, one ofthe members having a groove, a clamping member movably mounted on theother of the iirst mentioned members and having a portion of circularcross section engageable in the groove when the iirst mentioned membersare in eX- tended position, means to prevent movement of the lirstmentioned members in onevdirection from said position, and means toreleasthe oriiice being ably hold the lirst mentioned member frommovement in the opposite direction from said position.

13. A laundry appliance comprising two members hingedfxtogether, one of'the members having a groove and the open side of the groove being turnedaway from thel hinge, a clamping member movably mounted on the otheroi'f the lirst mentioned members engageable in the groove when the firstmentioned members are in extended position, means to prevent movementof' the lirst mentioned members in one direction :trom said position,and means to releasably hold the tirst mentioned members from movementin the opposite direction from said position.

14. A laundry appliance comprising two members hinged together, one ofthe members having a groove, a clamping member ot wire movably connectedat its ends with the other of the first mentioned members and having itsintermediate portion engaging in the groove when the iirst mentionedmembers are in extended position, means to prevent movement ot the firstmentioned members in one direction from said position, and means toreleasably hold the iirst mentioned members from movement in theopposite direction from said position.

15. A laundry appliance comprising two members hinged together, one otthe members having a groove, and the open side of the groove beingturned away from the hinge, a clamping member of wire hinged at its endsto the other of the tirst mentioned members and having its intermediateportion engaging in the groove when the lirst mentioned members are inextended position, means to prevent movement of the first mentionedmembers in one direction from said position, and means to releasablyhold the first mentioned members from movement in the opposite directionfrom said position.

16. A laundry appliance comprising a carrier, tags detachably mounted onthe carrier, rotary means to releasably retain the tags on the carrier,and a releasable means to prevent rotation of the tag-retention means.

Signed at Los Angeles, Calif., this 28 day of January, 1926.

ELMER E. FREY. JOHN GRIESINGER.

